P2P Bridge With Two D-Link DWL-2100AP

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

I have three D-Link DWL-2100AP 802.11g access points. Two are set up
as a pont-to-point bridge, and the third is an access point:

wired network gateway 192.168.100.1
|
2100AP (side 1 of bridge) 192.168.100.3
|
(long distance)
|
2100AP (side 2 of bridge) 192.168.100.4
|
2100AP (access point) 192.168.100.5

laptop 192.168.100.250

The goal is to have an ordinary 802.11g access point about 1/4 mile
from my wired network. The two bridge ends have directional panel
antennas pointed at each other, and LOS is clear, so there shouldn't
be any problems with the range.

The problem is that I can't get this to work when the D-Links are 3
inches from each other on a desk - at least, not all the time. It's
very flakey.

Both of the bridge ends are configured as P2P bridges, with the
other's MAC address specified, on channel 6.

The access point is configured as an access point, on channel 1.

1. My laptop easily connects to the access point (192.168.100.5) and
the near side of the bridge (192.168.100.4); I can ping them, log into
their web-based management system, etc.

2. My laptop can *sometimes* connect to the far side of the bridge
(192.168.100.3).

3. I can never reach the gateway at 192.168.100.1


Setting this up seemed pretty straightforward - are there any known
issues with turning a pair of 2100APs into a bridge? What am I doing
wrong?


Thanks.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Some more information about my setup:

Firmware 1.03 (current, 6/17/2004) on each 2100AP.

Super G disabled. Data rate auto. 802.11g only enabled.

Still have an incredibly unreliable connection, even though the
2100APs are in the same room.

Suggestions? Thanks.


monkeyomen@nym.hush.com (MonkeyOmen) wrote in message news:<d9c5db47.0409150910.7a4ee7b9@posting.google.com>...
> I have three D-Link DWL-2100AP 802.11g access points. Two are set up
> as a pont-to-point bridge, and the third is an access point:
>
> wired network gateway 192.168.100.1
> |
> 2100AP (side 1 of bridge) 192.168.100.3
> |
> (long distance)
> |
> 2100AP (side 2 of bridge) 192.168.100.4
> |
> 2100AP (access point) 192.168.100.5
>
> laptop 192.168.100.250
>
> The goal is to have an ordinary 802.11g access point about 1/4 mile
> from my wired network. The two bridge ends have directional panel
> antennas pointed at each other, and LOS is clear, so there shouldn't
> be any problems with the range.
>
> The problem is that I can't get this to work when the D-Links are 3
> inches from each other on a desk - at least, not all the time. It's
> very flakey.
>
> Both of the bridge ends are configured as P2P bridges, with the
> other's MAC address specified, on channel 6.
>
> The access point is configured as an access point, on channel 1.
>
> 1. My laptop easily connects to the access point (192.168.100.5) and
> the near side of the bridge (192.168.100.4); I can ping them, log into
> their web-based management system, etc.
>
> 2. My laptop can *sometimes* connect to the far side of the bridge
> (192.168.100.3).
>
> 3. I can never reach the gateway at 192.168.100.1
>
>
> Setting this up seemed pretty straightforward - are there any known
> issues with turning a pair of 2100APs into a bridge? What am I doing
> wrong?
>
>
> Thanks.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Well, you have exactly the same problem I have had. I did worked on it for 2
months without finding a solution. A workaround is to have a steady data
stream. If you log on to e.g. a radio station and let the music be on all
the time the gateway connection will work continuously. This I consider is
not a professional solution, so I went out and bought two Linksys WAP54G.
The 2x SP2100 are now sitting on a shelf in the office. For your
information, I contacted D-Link several times but no help at all (only
suggestion was to change channel). I am most interested in someone actually
got 2x SP2100 boxes working in bridge mode. The Linksys setup has worked
like dream since mid July.



Ulf



"MonkeyOmen" <monkeyomen@nym.hush.com> wrote in message
news:d9c5db47.0409170103.3d91e42b@posting.google.com...
> Some more information about my setup:
>
> Firmware 1.03 (current, 6/17/2004) on each 2100AP.
>
> Super G disabled. Data rate auto. 802.11g only enabled.
>
> Still have an incredibly unreliable connection, even though the
> 2100APs are in the same room.
>
> Suggestions? Thanks.
>
>
> monkeyomen@nym.hush.com (MonkeyOmen) wrote in message
news:<d9c5db47.0409150910.7a4ee7b9@posting.google.com>...
> > I have three D-Link DWL-2100AP 802.11g access points. Two are set up
> > as a pont-to-point bridge, and the third is an access point:
> >
> > wired network gateway 192.168.100.1
> > |
> > 2100AP (side 1 of bridge) 192.168.100.3
> > |
> > (long distance)
> > |
> > 2100AP (side 2 of bridge) 192.168.100.4
> > |
> > 2100AP (access point) 192.168.100.5
> >
> > laptop 192.168.100.250
> >
> > The goal is to have an ordinary 802.11g access point about 1/4 mile
> > from my wired network. The two bridge ends have directional panel
> > antennas pointed at each other, and LOS is clear, so there shouldn't
> > be any problems with the range.
> >
> > The problem is that I can't get this to work when the D-Links are 3
> > inches from each other on a desk - at least, not all the time. It's
> > very flakey.
> >
> > Both of the bridge ends are configured as P2P bridges, with the
> > other's MAC address specified, on channel 6.
> >
> > The access point is configured as an access point, on channel 1.
> >
> > 1. My laptop easily connects to the access point (192.168.100.5) and
> > the near side of the bridge (192.168.100.4); I can ping them, log into
> > their web-based management system, etc.
> >
> > 2. My laptop can *sometimes* connect to the far side of the bridge
> > (192.168.100.3).
> >
> > 3. I can never reach the gateway at 192.168.100.1
> >
> >
> > Setting this up seemed pretty straightforward - are there any known
> > issues with turning a pair of 2100APs into a bridge? What am I doing
> > wrong?
> >
> >
> > Thanks.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

"Ulf Berghman" <ulf.berghman@pt.lu> wrote in message news:<414c8c4d@news.vo.lu>...
> Well, you have exactly the same problem I have had. I did worked on it for 2
> months without finding a solution. A workaround is to have a steady data
> stream.

I noticed that when I couldn't reach the far side of the bridge, it
helped to have one of my fileservers ping the hell out of it
continuously. This is, as you say, not a real solution.

> If you log on to e.g. a radio station and let the music be on all
> the time the gateway connection will work continuously. This I consider is
> not a professional solution, so I went out and bought two Linksys WAP54G.

Yeah, I'm pretty disgusted with the whole thing. I bought the 2100APs
specifically because they claimed they'd function out-of-the-box as a
p2p bridge, and they simply don't.

> The 2x SP2100 are now sitting on a shelf in the office. For your
> information, I contacted D-Link several times but no help at all (only
> suggestion was to change channel). I am most interested in someone actually
> got 2x SP2100 boxes working in bridge mode. The Linksys setup has worked
> like dream since mid July.

They haven't even acknowledged my support request yet. I think I'll
stay away from D-Link products in the future.

Another problem that blindsided me with another 2100AP is that it
won't accept more than 16 MAC addresses. This eliminates any
potential advantage or pseudo-security to be gained by enabling MAC
address filtering.

Thanks for the response. Now that I know the problem isn't me I can
move on and work out another solution.


> Ulf
>
>
>
> "MonkeyOmen" <monkeyomen@nym.hush.com> wrote in message
> news:d9c5db47.0409170103.3d91e42b@posting.google.com...
> > Some more information about my setup:
> >
> > Firmware 1.03 (current, 6/17/2004) on each 2100AP.
> >
> > Super G disabled. Data rate auto. 802.11g only enabled.
> >
> > Still have an incredibly unreliable connection, even though the
> > 2100APs are in the same room.
> >
> > Suggestions? Thanks.
> >
> >
> > monkeyomen@nym.hush.com (MonkeyOmen) wrote in message
> news:<d9c5db47.0409150910.7a4ee7b9@posting.google.com>...
> > > I have three D-Link DWL-2100AP 802.11g access points. Two are set up
> > > as a pont-to-point bridge, and the third is an access point:
> > >
> > > wired network gateway 192.168.100.1
> > > |
> 2100AP (side 1 of bridge) 192.168.100.3
> > > |
> (long distance)
> > > |
> 2100AP (side 2 of bridge) 192.168.100.4
> > > |
> > > 2100AP (access point) 192.168.100.5
> > >
> > > laptop 192.168.100.250
> > >
> > > The goal is to have an ordinary 802.11g access point about 1/4 mile
> > > from my wired network. The two bridge ends have directional panel
> > > antennas pointed at each other, and LOS is clear, so there shouldn't
> > > be any problems with the range.
> > >
> > > The problem is that I can't get this to work when the D-Links are 3
> > > inches from each other on a desk - at least, not all the time. It's
> > > very flakey.
> > >
> > > Both of the bridge ends are configured as P2P bridges, with the
> > > other's MAC address specified, on channel 6.
> > >
> > > The access point is configured as an access point, on channel 1.
> > >
> > > 1. My laptop easily connects to the access point (192.168.100.5) and
> > > the near side of the bridge (192.168.100.4); I can ping them, log into
> > > their web-based management system, etc.
> > >
> > > 2. My laptop can *sometimes* connect to the far side of the bridge
> > > (192.168.100.3).
> > >
> > > 3. I can never reach the gateway at 192.168.100.1
> > >
> > >
> > > Setting this up seemed pretty straightforward - are there any known
> > > issues with turning a pair of 2100APs into a bridge? What am I doing
> > > wrong?
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks.